A variety of devices exist for cutting or abrading materials including masonry, concrete, metal, glass, wood and stone. These devices employ various implements for cutting or abrading including chain and rotary blades.
In the timber industry, wood is cut, for example, using chain saws and timber harvesters. The particular chain that is used depends on the area and condition of the wood being cut. The component links of all saw chains undergo expected wear. For example, teeth of saw chains become dull which is typically addressed by the time-consuming process of sharpening the teeth or changing-out the dull chain with a sharpened chain. Forces from normal chain operation weaken the component links, leading to the risk of chain breakage or chain shot.
Chain shot refers to what happens when a piece or pieces of a cutting chain separate from the end of a broken saw chain at a high-velocity. After a chain break, the free end of the chain begins to whip away from the break. Unless contained, the broken chain's free end is allowed to rapidly accelerate. At the peak of the whip the chain is carrying extreme kinetic forces, which can cause a chain piece or pieces to separate and be ejected in a ballistic nature, creating a serious risk of injury or death to operators and bystanders.
Various attempts have been made to reduce the problem of chain shot. The proposed solutions have included heat treating rivets to varying hardness levels to achieve greater shear resistance. The subject disclosure provides an alternative approach to avoiding chain shot breakage at the rivet.